Hey Sexy Sprinklers!!!!

I hope you are feeling good, looking good and seeing results with the Sensa Weight Loss System.  I was reading Fitness Rx Magazine in the airport and I read an article and thought of you guys (especially with spring just around the corner and bikini season…..AAAARGH!!!!!).  So this professor of kinesiology Thomas Fahey wrote a great article highlighting the findings of the National Weight Control Registry, which tracks 5,000 people with long term weight loss.  He summarized what made those people the “Biggest Losers” but not only lost the weight but kept it off.

Flickr User: Ed Yourdon

1. Almost all cut down caloric intake to lose weight and continued to eat fewer calories to maintain the weight loss (yay!  Sensa thanks for your help).

2. Almost all exercised regularly.  Most people chose walking as their main form of exercise and 90 percent exercised an average of one hour per day!!!!!!!!  (I couldn’t agree more…look I hate to exercise but I do it and I think it’s necessary to keep your mind and body healthy).

3. Most (78 percent) ate breakfast every day.

4. Most (75 percent) weighed themselves at least once a week (I do it more often than that because it keeps me accountable but that’s for another blog).

5. Most (62 percent) watched less than 10 hours of television per week.

So in essence, long term weight control requires lifestyle change.  TO CHANGE YOUR BODY YOU HAVE TO CHANGE YOUR MIND.  Try and take a few minutes today to envision what you could look like with some changes to your lifestyle…it can happen and with Sensa you can do it.

Also I want to say thank you to everyone for their support of the Sensa team recently on Shop NBC!  We are going back Saturday March 13th so please check us out and call in during one of these time slots:

12 Midnight EST

4am EST

8am EST

12 Noon EST

3pm EST

7pm EST

I would love to hear from you!!!!

Keep sprinkling’ !!!

xxoo

Dayna

Beware of Health Food Imposters

Hello Readers -

I have always been one to cheat; I think I learned it from my Grandma when she always won at Domino’s. I’ll assume that you too like things as easy as possible and would love to “win” at this dieting game, but indulging in things that seem healthy and really aren’t, is not the way to do it. Here is a list of health food imposters and ways to substitute them (it may  not be as good as the real thing, but winning is a much better feeling!)

In the article 7 Health Food Imposters To Avoid, they list foods that try to trick us but also give us alternatives:

Juice: Juice, is not a substitute for fruit by any means. It’s filled with sugar and artificial flavors that we do not need. In fact, when I started packing on the pounds in my early 20’s I found that avoiding all liquids that contained calories helped me lose weight much faster. In my opinion, we should get our calories from food and not from our drinks. But yes I know you are tired of drinking water all day every day. In the article it says “If you’re going to go for the juice, try picking dark-red fruits and drink it in smaller portions.” At the store I buy cranberry juice and splash it in my water. It helps with the craving and cuts back my sugar intake.

flickr: paxye

Turkey Burgers: You may think you are doing yourself a favor by choosing turkey over beef, but watch out for all the fillers and fat that come with the burger. A good alternative is a veggie burger, but I can’t even manage to order one of those. I absolutely love the Portobello mushroom burger at about any place that sells them. The Portobello mushroom is a substitute for your meat patty and then you get all the fixings – delish!

Snacks: Looking for a healthy snack? Pretzels are great, but avoid dipping them in ranch dressing and indulging in the honey mustard pretzels and whatever else they have out there. You want a snack? Think pretzels and pretzels only.

Wheat Bread: Not all wheat bread is healthy. When buying wheat bread, think whole grains or go even better and pick the 7 grains. That’s what they really meant when the whole brown over white battle began, grains are what your body really needs.

Cereals: I love cereal for breakfast, it’s fast and easy and if you read the back of the box it seems like I’m getting everything I need. But a lot of cereals contain too much sugar. A smart cereal choice is fiber-rich and low in sugar. I like to eat granola mixed with non-fat original yogurt instead of milk, yum! Which brings me to the next food impostor…

flickr: nooccar

Yogurt: Yogurt with artificial fruit and flavors contains too much sugar. My favorite snack use to be non-fat original yogurt with fresh

blueberries or raspberries. I was then introduced to vanilla yogurt and fell in love with that as well.

Granola: Granola bars are like eating candy bars. Make your own granola and reap in the benefits.

Other health food imposters can be iceberg lettuce (choose spring mix or spinach), yogurt covered raisins and dried fruit. When you can, choose the real thing and your body will benefit along with your weight loss goals!

By for now,

Missy

5 Easy Ways to Motivate Yourself

Author:  Sensa Intern, Cynthia Lokovic

Like many others, I am caught red handed when it comes to not working out as much as I should. Trust me, I know every excuse in the book from “I don’t have enough time” or “I’d rather be doing…” but when it comes down to it, I know I should really be exercising. To help motivate myself, I have come up with a few tips and tricks on how to motivate myself to workout.

flickr: jenny-pics

Write down your goals: Take ten minutes out of one day every month to write down small goals that you have for yourself. Make sure you put down short term goals that are actually reasonable to reach. This makes you feel more motivated when you reach those smaller goals because you are getting closer to your larger goals. Also, when you write it down, it makes you think about it and reminds you to exercise.

Surround yourself with your goals: By posting pictures of things that remind you of your goal on places that you see often (i.e. your refrigerator, bathroom mirror, by the front door) it gets to you think about achieving that goal every time you see it. I was always told that if I surrounded myself with my goals, I would achieve them. Look in your favorite magazines and clip out pictures of people, places or things that help you to get motivated. If you want to get that new bathing suit for this summer, post a picture of the bathing suit you have had your eye on or even a picture of the beach! Another example is if you want to start eating better, post healthy recipes from the Sensa Community around your kitchen to remind you to make them.

Create a workout calendar: Buy or create a calendar that says what days of the week you will work-out and try to actually keep up with it. By doing this, you are actually creating time for your workouts during the week so you cannot use the excuse that you don’t have time because you have already made it! At the end of each month give yourself a little treat for working so hard during the month then continue with making another calendar.

flickr: bairdphotos.com

Make a playlist: I don’t know about you, but music always makes exercising so much better. Whether you’re listening to “Girls just want to have fun” by Cyndi Lauper or “Thunderstruck” by ACDC you can put together a quick 30 minute play list to pump you up for your workouts. My personal playlist includes:

• “Call on Me” by Eric Prydz
• “Stronger” by Kanye West
• “Every time we touch” by Cascada
• “I got a feeling” by Black Eyed Peas
• “White Lies” by Paul Van Dyk

If you can’t create your own play list, another way you could get a mixture of music is to use Pandora radio. This is a station online that lets you choose a station and then creates a play list including songs that it thinks that you will like according to that station that you chose.

Find a workout buddy: When you have someone to workout with it makes it more enjoyable because you are sharing the experience with one another. The two of you could go on a walk, take a fitness class together or just stay at home and play the Wii Fit. Having a workout buddy also helps with your motivation. If you see your buddy working out their hardest, it inspires you to work your hardest and vice versa.

With these tips, you can really learn to how to motivate yourself to workout. By creating a little time during the day for exercising it will make a big difference in the way that you feel every day. Now let’s make a pact, and promise to try to keep ourselves motivated to become a healthier you!

Until Next Time,

Cynthia

Do you sit at a desk on your computer all day, sit in a cube and make/answer phone calls or partake in laborious conference calls? Do you use an elevator or escalator in place of the stairs so you can get “there” faster? Is weight loss a struggle for you? While these technologies have enabled us to communicate instantly and increase our efficiency, they have also greatly reduced the need for people to get up and move! When did mobility become such a colossal waste of time?

I can’t help but point out the irony in how the film industry glorifies seemingly impossible feats of the human body to an audience that has become increasingly sedentary. The more advanced technology becomes, the more filmmakers can push the envelope and create mind-blowing action scenes that lead the audience to believe the human body is capable of seemingly superhuman movements. Ironically, the same technological advances that amaze us in the movie theater have led us to be more immobile than we ever have been in history. Try to imagine a life without computers and other modern time-saving conveniences—this life is almost unimaginable, especially to younger generations who were born in the midst of a technological revolution.

We have to keep in mind that our bodies are meant for motion! The human body did not evolve over thousands of years to sit at a desk and type all day…this may be how we “live” (a.k.a pay the bills) but it is certainly not how we as individuals will ultimately “survive.”

flickr user YoGeekMami

What can you do to survive the technologically dominated and increasingly sedentary era in which we live?

-Become conscious of your day-to-day activity level. Track the hours spent in front of a computer, TV or book. Define how you spend your time as sedentary vs. active.
-Opt for the mobile route. Walk to lunch with friends. Take the stairs. Park further away from your destination. Do push ups in your office. Take a walk on your lunch break. Drink lots of water, which will result in multiple trips to refill and use the restroom! Read more ideas from the American Heart Association about creative ways to increase daily activity.
-Enjoy your workout! Challenging your body will make it stronger, and who doesn’t enjoy the feeling of strength?
-STRETCH. Check out Annette Fletcher’s Stretch & Joint Mobility Therapy DVD.

If you think of your health as a personal matter, think again. Your health isn’t just about you—it’s about being there for your family, energizing your career and contributing to a healthy and productive community!

Cheers to Your Health!

Rach

Author: Sensa Intern, Cassanda Bustamante

We’ve all been there, when the clock strikes 2:00pm and you look down at your stomach as it grumbles. Even though it’s only 2 hours past your fulfilling lunch you’re struck with hunger. While reaching for those potato chips and cookies first come to mind, know that they are not the only snacks that will curb your appetite. Well-planned, healthy snacks can complement your weight-loss plan. These healthy snacks are great healthy alternatives that will keep your stomach quiet and your taste buds happy until it’s time for your next meal.

1) Celery and peanut butter – a healthy way to satisfy your sweet tooth while getting some protein in.

2) Apples slices with lemon juice- the lemon juice keeps the apples from bruising plus it gives your apples a kick of citrus.

3) Carrots and ranch – all the crunch of chips without all the sodium! Caesar or bleu cheese dressing also makes good alternatives to ranch.

4) Fat free popcorn – a few handfuls makes for a fun snack, just make sure you pick up the bag without the movie theater butter.

5) Whole grain crackers and cheese – my personal favorite. Pair a good cracker like Milton’s Multigrain Crackers with a few slices of havarti cheese for calcium and protein. Cheese can still be a healthy snack just as long as you keep it to a minimum of a few slices.

6) Plain yogurt and granola – a great combination of protein and fiber that can fill you up until your next meal.

7)String cheese – low fat cheese like mozzarella can help you get your daily calcium intake in between meals.

8)All fruit smoothie – Just throw in your favorite fruits into the blender, and add ice. An easy way to get your daily fruit intake while satisfying your hunger. My personal favorite mix: strawberries, blue berries, and bananas.

9) Trail mix – high in fiber and healthy fat, a handful of if this mix makes a great sweet and salty snack.

10) Cottage cheese – another great snack to add fruit to. Consider trying it with peaches, bananas, strawberries, or blueberries.  Adding dried fruit is another great alternative.

Snacking can boost your energy levels and suppress your hunger in between meals so there’s no need to ignore your body when it tells you it needs food. Keeping a variety of snacks in your bag is helpful and can help prevent you from overeating when you feel like you’re starving. When you have snacks with you already to help curb your appetite, you’ll avoid running and getting it from a vending machine or at the convenience store saving you your pocket change that you can put towards something else. Remember to always have your Sensa shaker on hand, snacks count too! For more healthy snack ideas check out this article from WebMD.

Yours truly,

Cassandra

Author:Cherly aka Moondragon52 Sensa Community Forum Moderator

Peg, Miriam and myself were given a great honor when we were able to have a phone conference with Dr. Alan Hirsch.  He willing shared his knowledge with us as we asked him about Sensa and how it works for us.  Dr. Hirsch was very interested in our stories and how we were doing.  It was an honor I won’t ever forget, being able to speak to the man who has literally changed thousands of life’s with his discovery and invention of Sensa.  It is hard to put into words the joy of being able to thank Dr. Hirsch and I am still in awe that we were able to do so.  The phone call with Dr. Hirsch was one of the most insightful and moving experiences I have ever had and one I won’t soon forget.

If you can imagine having a conversation with a friend about weight loss and the latest program out there then you can imagine the conversation we had with Dr. Hirsch.  He is a very caring down to earth man who cared about who we are and what we do.  He wanted to give us the best information he could so that we could be more knowledgeable for the benefit of all of those who come to the Sensa Community Forums looking for information and help.

Dr. Hirsch

Peg, Miriam and I are here to help others because Dr. Hirsch helped us in ways he never thought of when he invented Sensa.  He gave each of us a purpose in our life’s by literally saving us with the hope that Sensa instilled in each of us.  We want each of you that come to the forums to have that same hope that we found when we came here looking for help and answers.  Peg, Miriam and myself are here to bring you the hope and help that gave us all a purpose in our life’s and that was to be a helping hand to those who were reaching out.

Never will miss a Sprinkle,
Cheryl

flickr user: abraj

Sure, everyone knows how to lose weight, it’s just diet and exercise, right?  I won’t argue the science but I will add that attitude, behavior and metabolism can play a part too.  Having a positive attitude helps just about everything, altering behaviors that don’t serve you and what you are up to will both empower you and result in effective weight loss.  So, what about the mysteries of metabolism?  We’ve all heard people say, or maybe we’ve said it ourselves, ‘I have a slow metabolism,’ or ‘metabolism slows with age’.  But how true are these statements and what is metabolism?

The metabolism is based on the number of calories we burn throughout the day.  Our body is constantly burning calories to keep us going whether we are sleeping, running, cleaning, digesting food, regulating body temperature or eating.  The excess calories that are not used to get you through your day get stored, mostly in the form of fat.  Simply, if you take in more calories than you use, you’ll gain weight over time.

Some things to note about metabolism:

• Your mechanical and thermometric functions to maintain normal bodily functions use about 60-75% of your energy or calories.
• Your body uses about 10% of calories to digest and metabolize food.  The amount of calories you burn vary with the types of food you eat.  You burn more calories breaking down chicken than a banana.  Very few calories are expended breaking down simple sugars.
• Your resting metabolism depends on your age, physical condition, amount of fat vs. muscle.
• Generally your metabolism slows starting in your mid thirties by 3 to 5% per decade.  So, when you reach 55 you require about 150 fewer calories per day than when you were in your mid thirties.  For that reason, aim to cut back 100-200 calories a day as you reach a new decade, or increase your activity level.
• Men generally have a 10-15 % faster BMR (Basal Metabolic Rate) than women because the male body has a greater percentage of lean muscle tissue.
• Here is the BMR calculation by the World Health Organization:  Female = [ 655+(9.6 x Weight in kilogram) + (1.7 x Height in centimeter) – (4.7 x Age) ] Male = [ 66+(13.7 x Weight in kilogram) + (5 x Height in centimeter) – (6.8 x Age) ].  WebMD also has a calculator here.

Possible causes of low metabolism:

• Fasting
• A low calorie diet
• Lack of physical activity.
• Snacking on high sugar foods throughout the day (such as candy, soda, desserts and gum).
• Eating too much sugar containing foods.
• Loss of muscle.
• Under active thyroid (consult your physician)

Possible ways to speed up metabolism:

• Eat 5-6 smaller meals throughout the day.  Starving slows the metabolism.
• Exercise!
• Build more muscle.  One pound of fat burns 2 calories a day, one pound of muscle burns 50 calories a day.
• Cut out (or at least cut down!) consumption of sugar and alcohol.
• Avoid fasting.
• Drink water!  8-10 glasses a day.
• Eat nutritious food that fuels you, aim for less processed food, with a balance of complex carbs, healthy fats and lean proteins.
• Some ingredients thought to boost the metabolism are: chili pepper, mustard, green tea, garlic and dietary fibers.  This article on ecosalon lists some other great foods too.

Whether you are chasing your two year old, playing golf, dancing, cleaning, walking, spinning, lifting weights, kickboxing or swimming keep it going for lasting health benefits.  Being physically active is the most effective way to increase your metabolism and lead to weight loss.

flickr user: albertopveiga

Yours in Health,

Kardio Kate

Hello Readers -

Here I am 6 months pregnant, always starving and trying to come up with some good advice for my Sensa readers (Thanks mom!) and the only thing on my mind is food and not the healthy kind. All the way up until a few weeks ago my doctor was really happy with the progress of my pregnancy weight gain. But after the holidays she had to sit me down and give me a little chat about cutting back and counting calories. I guess I can’t blame her since I more than doubled my weight gain during this pregnancy in one month, but it was still sad to hear that just because I’m starving every minute of the day does not mean I need to eat all day. Here are a few things I changed, that will hopefully prevent me from getting my hand smacked when I see the doc this month.

My Attitude: Before, “I’m pregnant, where’s the food!?!” Now, “I’m not that hungry, I’ll wait till lunch.”

Foods: Before, “McDonalds, ice cream, gummi bears, whatever and whenever” Now, “carrots, oranges, salads and veggie delight sandwiches from Subway” Bottom line I am making smarter choices. All those that have gestated know that the list of “No’s” is no fun, but I try not to get carried away with the treats (although if I was being completely honest, I would tell you I suck at this, but at least I’m making an effort.)

Support: Before, I hung out with my food buddies. Now, I go to lunch with friends that tell me I do not need a 20pc chicken nugget meal from McDonalds. I also told my husband about my doctors recommendations and he simply supported me by saying we will watch what we eat together (of course, if you need support you could probably break the news in a less emotional, traumatic way than I did.)

Exercise: Before, “Do trips to the bathroom count?” Now, I still have to take it easy (Doctors orders) but I take the stairs instead of the elevator and take the dog for longer walks.

H2O: Surprisingly, this has not been a problem for me. I have never been a huge water drinker but pregnancy has changed that. I am ALWAYS thirsty and it’s water that I thirst for the most. I do love my occasional soda, but more often than not it is water that I’m drinking. Plus, staying hydrated really helps your body adjust to all of the changes it is experiencing.

Where does the weight go?

How much weight should you gain?

For more tips on eating for two please click here: Eating for Two

And for fun, here are pictures of me that demonstrate the major growth spurt I had in just one week!

The first one is me at 23 weeks and the other is me at 24 weeks!

Bye for now!

Missy

Hello To All You Sexy Sprinklers!!!!

Can you believe it’s already February?  I hope everyone reading this (all two of you…and my Mom) will focus as much love inwards this Valentine’s Day as you pour outwards.  I also hope a lot of you will find yourselves slipping into some red slinky dresses and some HOT heels that make you feel really good about your new bodies and your weight loss accomplishments…AMEN!!

So I was thinking that I have been working hard on my health and body but I should also be working on my mind.  One of my ill-fated New Year’s Resolutions was to try to meditate at least once a day.  I haven’t done it once but I really do want to start trying.  I have researched it…meditation has been around since the beginning of time.  Different people try meditation with different goals in mind…like greater consciousness and self-awareness, greater creativity, focus, or even just a peaceful state of mind.  I want all of the above!!!  If anyone has read the book “Eat, Pray, Love” you will understand part of my quest to learn meditation.

Anyway, in the past I have struggled with the “white noise” in my mind.  My brain does not want the volume turned down…it wants to form “to do” lists instead of becoming more self aware.  But darn it!  I am going to try again and anyone that would like to begin this journey too is welcome to come along with me.  There are plenty of online articles about meditation for beginners, but this one sums it up nicely.

I will let you know how it goes…and anyone who has any tips to share or wants to try it with me let me know!

Happy Valentine’s Day!!!!

Keep Sprinkling!!!

xxoo,

Dayna

Spring is in the air, at least in Southern California. Either way, it’s not too far around the corner for the rest of us.  Let’s embrace this season in the most appropriate way…with food of course.  I’ll give you a few tips on my favorite spring vegetables and how to get them on your plate for a balanced diet

One of the most beautiful vegetables coming into season is the artichoke. They are packed with a ton of potassium and fiber, which makes it the perfect go to snack. The fiber will help control your hunger while also cleansing your system.  The potassium will boost your energy and replenish the body with its natural electrolytes.

Another favorite vegetable that is coming into season is broccoli.  Although you can find broccoli throughout the year, it’s going to be at its peak performance during spring.   The flavor is also going to be much more sweet and delicious.  Broccoli is full of fiber, which we know is a great thing for our bodies. It helps with digestion, and is shown to reduce the risk of colon cancer.  Broccoli is also a great source of Beta-carotene, which is an amazing and powerful antioxidant. This protects the body from toxins and rids the body of toxins that we have already consumed.  I like to eat foods that not only help with weight loss, but also help heal and enrich the skin so you look as fantastic as you feel.  Roast broccoli with golden raisins, lemon zest, garlic, and olive oil. You will be in for a treat.  If you make extra, you can have it with rice or whole grain pasta for lunch the next day.

One of my favorite fruits coming into season is the apricot. They are treats in any form, weather it be jam, dried, or just a ripe apricot from the market.  They are packed with vitamin A, vitamin C, and potassium. If you are starting a new work out routine, eating potassium for breakfast is a good idea.  Potassium will replenish your system for the entire day. When your body is depleted of electrolytes, it can cause muscle cramps, most commonly in your legs.

Try this apricot recipe to get your day started:

1 ripe apricot

2 T wheat germ

4 frozen strawberries

½ container low fat vanilla yogurt

½ cup ice

Splash orange juice, water, or milk.

Put everything in blender add enough liquid to make smoothie consistency.

The smoothie is around 120 calories.

Alright diligent, strong, amazing, beautiful people you are officially ready to eat spring vegetables, remember to sprinkle every meal for ultimate results.

XO – Kelsey